Method of manufacturing hair clips



Jan. 22, 1935. A. B. WEISSENBORN METHOD OF MANUFACTURING HAIR CLIPS Filed Jan. 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l ama 02S Jan. 22, 1935. A. B. WEISSENBORN 1,988,322

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING HAIR CLIPS Filed Jan. 25, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 22, 1935 Albert B,:Weissenborn, Appleton, Wis., assignorv to -Scolding Corporation, Appleton, Wis.

Application January 25, 1934, Serial'No. 708,259

vided with contacting legs.

' '9 Claim.

This invention pertains toa,v new and novel method of manufacturing hair. clips of thetype more commonly known as bobby pinswhich are formed from flat spring wire, and are pro- The conventional method employed in the manufacture of clips, or pins, of the foregoing. character consists incompletely forming the pin by the several mechanical operations required; and

then enameling orv finishing the pins. with the result that the enameling or finishing coating To overcome the foregoing objections ithas been attempted to enamel or finish-the pins with the legs held in spread or spaced position'by means of pegs. liowevenj this .process' is both,

slow and expensive,.a nd doesnot avoid, rough spots on the inner surfaces of .thepins, inasmuch as the enamel tends to bridge the points of contact between the'pegs and pins.

The present invention has. primarily for its object the provisionofa ne'wand novel method of producing bobby-Z.-pins, which is comparatively rapid and inexpensive, and which insures a: smooth, attractiye finishlfor the pins, both inside and out, rough spots. and blisters being entirely eliminated. Y V V Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object of the inventionresides in first partially forming the pins, then enameling or finishing the same while the legs of thefpins aregspread, and thereafter completing the formation of the pins by closing the same and causing the'legsto onerof thelegslispr-oyidedwi 'rimps, while the other remains straight. l-lcwever, the invention is equally applicable to pins having both legs either ,crirnped or straight, inasmuch as the same problems-arelipresent as regardsj the production .ofa smoothlyiinishedping,

m ne drawings, I w ich, diagrazmnatically i1- lust-rate one, form of apparatus lay which the presentinventionmay'bepractisedz'gs Figure 1 is a schematicview of the initial formi ap u Figure 2 is a detailed'plan view of the'stationary cutting die. t V

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the mechanism for initially bending the pin.

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the same; taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 illustrates one form ofmechanism:

for performing the enameling operation.

Figure 6 illustrates the mechanism for separating a batch of enameled pins and-delivering them to the final forming mechanism for closing the legs of the pins.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail of the final closing mechanism, the same being taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6. I Figure 8 is a perspective hairpin. 7 I

Conventional methods heretoforeemployed in the manufacture of bobby-pins 'consist er two groupsof operation, namely, completelyfforming the pins, and thereafter enameling or finishing thedsame, while; the present invention'contemplates three groupsof operations comprising partially forming the pins with their legs in spaced relation, and preferably diverging, then enameling or coating the pins in that condition, and subsequently completing the formation of the pin by closing the legs so thatthey contact with one another. Therefore, in describing the present invention, the successive :steps' comprising the various groups ,ofoperations will be considered in the foregoing order.

' Initial forming a I As is customary inthe manufacture of bobby pins, and hairpins for that matter the wire 1, from which the pins are to be formed, is taken from a reel (not shown) and run through a'c'onview of a completed ventional straightening mechanism designated by the letter A, and'comprising a pluralityof opposed, staggered rollers 2, as best shown in Figure 1. From the straightening mechanism A the wire 1 passes through a pair of feed rolls 3," which projectthe same through the crimping mechato produce a pin, in which both legs are straight,

itis'unnecessary to provide for crimping the wire '1, and therefore the crimping mechanism willbe teliininatd. However, where it is desired to proyide pins with crimped legs, the mechanism His provided, and so timed with relation to the feed as to crimp the wire at suitable spaced intervals, the spacing of the crimps disclosed in Figure 1 serving to produce a pin with one straight leg and one crimped leg.

The crimping mechanism B comprises a fluted stationary die 4, and a reciprocating die 5 cooperating with the stationary die to provide the spaced flutes or crimps 6.

After leaving the crimping mechanism, the wire passes between the cutting mechanism C, and its forward end is projected into the bending mechanism E. The cutting mechanism C comprises a stationary female die 7 upon which the wire is supported, and a reciprocating male die or .pu'nch 8 cooperates therewith to severa predetermined length of wire 9 from the strip 1. While an ordinary knife cutter may be employed for severing the wire into predetermined lengths, in the present instance it is desired to provide a rounded end for each severed portion, and therefore the opening 10 in the female die is rectangular inshape,

and is provided at its ends with inwardly projectprises a stationary anvil 13, which cooperates with the reciprocating hammer 14 to bend'the forward end of the severed section 9 upwardly, which in the finished pin, as shown in Figure 8, facilitates insertion-of the same into the hair.

Following the foregoing operations, the severed section of wire9 is then transferred to the-bending mechanism F, illustrated-in Figures 3 and 4, this mechanism being positioned to one side of the longitudinal-path'of travel of the strip 1, as best shown in Figure 4, and after the severing and end-bending operations take place, a pair of spaced star wheels 15 slide the severed section 9 laterally on the table to a position above a stationary bending pin 16,- over which initial bending operation is performed. This is accomplished by a pair of opposed bending jaws 17 carried by a reciprocating head 18 and having their lower outer edges tapered at 19' for engagement with the spaced stationary lugs 20, which, upon reciprocation of the head 18, forces the noses 21 toward the pin 16, causing the severed section 9 to be bent downwardly over the pin intermediate its ends, as best shown in Figure 3, and while the extent of this bending operation may be'varied, insofar as the legs of the pin are left in spaced relation, it is preferred to leave the legs in divergent relation, as illustrated in Figure 3, inasmuch as this facilitates subsequent handing of the pin. 1

After the initial bending operation is performed by the mechanism F, the pins are discharged from the bending mechanism by the star wheels 15, and then pass through the enameling or japanning operation, which may be accomplished in any conventional manner, such as in a revolving japanning drum 22, shown in Figure 5, which tumbles the coated pins during the drying operation, thus preventing them from adhering together, and assuring a smooth, uniform finish. From the japanning operation, the pins, which are then ina tangled mass or batch, are delivered to a tumbling drum 23, as shown in Figure 6,

which is provided with peripheral spaced operi ings 24, through which the pins, after becoming disengaged from the tangled mass, are discharged upon an inclined belt 25, the pins biiig' gliiide'd into lanes defined on the belt by means of loiigi tudinal rails 26. From the belt 25 the separated pins are picked up by a transverse shoe 27, ro vided with spaced troughs 28 alined with the lanes formed by the rails 26. Projecting throughthe bottom of each trough is a rotatable transfer disc 29, which is straddled by the pins discharged from the trough legs first, other pins being merely dropped into a suitable receptacle below the discs, and again fed through the tumbler 23.

Alined with each disc 29, and contacting with its periphery, is an inclined guide track 30, which picks up the pins straddling the disc, and causes them to slide downwardly to a conveyor spindle 31, positioned below and alined with the track 30. That portion of the spindle projecting beyond the track 30 is provided with a worm thread 32 of such itch as to pick up one pin at a time from the track 30 and deliver the same to an in clined runway 33 positioned below the spindle, which in turn delivers the pins to an alined closing stud34, u on which the final closing operation takes place. This is accomplished by means of opposed closing jaws 35, each of which is secured to a reciprocating bar 36 for horizontally opening and closing the jaws 35.

When the jaws are open, the rotation of the spindle 33 is so timed as to deliver a pin to the stud 34, whereupon the jaws 35 are closed to grip the pin, as best shown in Figure '7, causing the legs to be closed in contact with each other. During this operation a pivotal flap 37 swings over the front of the pin supported on the lug 34, to prevent the same'from twisting on the lug, and insuring-its proper engagement by the jaws 35; After the closing operation, the jaws 35 are opened andthe completed pin is dropped into a suitable receptacle upon withdrawal of the lug 34. V V

While the foregoing operations complete the formation of the pins, in most instances the pins are subjected to heat, .which firmly sets the enamel or finishing coating. From the foregoing explanation, considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be readily seen that a comparatively simple, rapid, and inexpensive method of manufacture has been devised for producing pins having the characteristics set forth, and at the same time insuring a pin of smooth, uniform finish and attractive appearance, rough spots and blisters being entirely eliminated, the foregoing being accomplished with no additional operations over conventional methods, and in some instances eliminating the .tediousoperation of japanning or finishing the pins upon spreading pegs.

I claim:-

1, In the manufacture ofhair clips formed from fiat spring wire and having contacting legs, the steps comprising, severing a strip of wire into predetermined lengths, bending thesevered portions interme'diate their ends to form spaced legs, enameling the bent severed .portions, and then closing the legs so that theycontact with each other. 1

2. In the manufacture of hair clips formed from fiat spring wire and'having contacting legs, the steps comprising, severing. a strip of wire in predetermined lengths,bend ing the'severed portion intermediate their ends to form spaced legs, enameling the bent severed portions, closing the legs so that they contact with each other, and then subjecting the pins to heat.

3. In the manufacture of hair clips formed from fiat spring wire and having contacting legs, the steps comprising, crimping a strip of wire at spaced intervals, severing the strip intermediate the crimped portions, bending the severed portions intermediate their ends to form spaced legs, at least one of which is crimped, enameling the bent severed portions, and then closing the legs so that they contact with each other.

4. In the manufacture of hair clips formed from fiat spring wire and having contacting legs, the steps comprising, crimping a strip of Wire at spaced intervals, severing the strip intermediate the crimped portions, bending the severed portions intermediate their ends to form spaced legs, at least one of which is crimped, enameling the bent severed portions, then closing the legs sothat they contact with each other, and then subjecting the pins to heat.

5. In the manufacture of hair clips formed from fiat spring wire and having contacting legs, the steps comprising, severing a strip of wire into predetermined lengths, partially bending the severed portions of wire over a pin to form spaced legs of substantially similar length, enameling a batch of said bent portions, tumbling said batch to disentangle the pins, delivering the separated pins to a holding lug, and then closing the legs about said lug so that they contact with each other.

6. In the manufacture of hair clips formed from flat spring Wire and having contacting legs, the steps comprising, severing a strip of wire into predetermined lengths, bending at least one end of the severed portions, bending the severed portions intermediate their ends to form spaced legs, enameling the bent severed portions, and then closing the legs so that they contact with each other.

'7. In the manufacture of hair clips formed from flat spring wire and having contacting legs, the steps comprising, crimping a strip of wire at spaced intervals, severing the wire intermediate the crimped portions, bending one end of the severed portion, bending the severed portions intermediate their ends to form spaced legs at least one of which is crimped, and then closing the legs so that they contact with each other.

8. In the manufacture of hair clips formed from flat spring wire and having contacting legs, the steps comprising, crimping a strip of wire at spaced intervals, severing the wire intermediate the crimped portions, bending one end of the severed portion, bending the severed portions intermediate their ends to form spaced legs at least one of which is crimped, then closing the legs so that they contact with each other, and then subjecting the pins to heat.

9. In the manufacture of hair clips formed from flat spring wire and having contacting legs, the steps comprising, severing a strip of wire into predetermined lengths, bending the severed portions intermediate their ends to form spaced legs, enameling a batch of bent severed portions, tumbling said batch to disentangle the mass, successively delivering the disentangled portions in timed relation, and then closing the legs in timed relation to their delivery.

ALBERT B. WEISSENBORN. 

